Times of Lore/Characters and equipment

Character attributes

Health bar

The character's health is represented by the length of a candle on the right side of the screen.

Whenever the character is hit by an enemy, his/her health bar gets shorter. If the candle gets exhausted, the character is dead. You can reload the game from the last save point.

Health can be restored in three ways: (1) rest at an inn; (2) quaff a blue or green potion; (3) stand still for a long time.

In particular, standing still is a slow method to restore health, but at least (in the computer ports) enemy do not respawn while you are standing still.

Score

The higher your score, the more enemies will appear. Also, powerful ghost will start appearing. Try and keep your score low, lest the game becomes too difficult!

In the NES remake there is no score, and enemy frequency is constant throughout the game.

Choose a character

The three characters have the same attributes: same attack power, same speed, same health bar.

Apparently, the only difference is their luck: the barbarian wins less items from defeated enemies, the valkyrie wins more.

In the computer ports, the Valkyrie's sprite is smaller than the other two, therefore her hit box is smaller, too. This provides some sort of extra defense.

Although the words "knight" and "horseman" have the same meaning in a medieval setting, there are no horses in Times of Lore. Therefore, the "knight" in this game is just a "horseless horseman".

Items

Rare items

• Dagger (permanent)
• Magic axe (permanent)
• Magic boots (permanent)
• Green scroll (3 uses)
• Invisibility ring (single use)
• Red potion (single use)

Consumable items

These items are dropped by some enemies when defeated:

• Green potion (life)
• Blue potion (refresh)
• Blue scroll (ice)
• Red scroll (fire)
• Food
• Bag of gold

Gold coins can be used to purchase items and services:

• lodge in any inn (10 GC per night; refill health and save game);
• buy food in any inn (10 GC per meal; max 9 meals);
• buy one magic axe in Lankwell (95 GC);
• buy one pair of magic boots in Treela.

Quest items

1. Urn: it contains the Foretelling Stones raided by the orcs.
2. Tablet: the "Tablet of Truth" is the second magic item, kept in Ganestor.
3. Scroll: the confession of an assassin.
4. Note: the report of a spy.
5. Green key: it opens the cell of the abducted prince.
6. Holy water: the only way to defeat the undead Lyche.
7. The last quest features several items:
   1. Key: allows to access the Blasted Spot dungeon;
   2. Chime: found deep under the Blasted Spot, it allows to access the temple of Angor;
   3. White key: found in the temple, it allows to open a cell in its basement;
   4. Sphere: the only way to defeat the Grey Abbot;
   5. Medallion: symbol of royalty, when you collect it the game is cleared.

Keywords

Keywords work in a similar way to plot items: they can be "acquired" and "used" in specific points of the game.

Keyword(s)	Notes
Kingdom? Valwyn? High King? Assassin? Black Asp?	Learn from and ask to an old man in Eralan tavern. Learn from and ask to an old man in Eralan tavern. Learn from an old man in Eralan tavern; ask to the Tablet of Truth in Ganestor and to the Black Asp in Lankwell. Learn from the Tablet of Truth in Ganestor; ask to Baebon in Lankwell tavern. Learn from Baebon in Lankwell tavern; ask to a serf in Lankwell.
Orcs? Camp?	Learn from the innkeper in Eralan; ask to the woodsman in the Dark Forest. Learn from and ask to the woodsman in the Dark Forest.
Secret way? Tunnel?	Learn from a serf in Ganestor; ask to the serf and to Barton in Ganestor. Learn from Barton in Ganestor; ask to Smitty the innkeeper in Ganestor.
Sneaking?	Learn from Smitty the innkeeper in Ganestor; ask to Barton in Ganestor.
Spying?	Learn from Lord Heidric in Ganestor; ask to the spy in Ganestor.
Crime?	Learn from and ask to the duke of Hampton.
Temple? Lyche? Holy water?	Learn from and ask to an old man in the Last Hope Inn. Learn from and ask to an old man in the Last Hope Inn. Learn from an old man in the Last Hope Inn; ask to Friar Kaine in Rhyder.